<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><p style="margin:0px;text-align:center;font-size:17px;line-height:normal;font-family:'Times New Roman'"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 6, 2019 </b></span><span style="font-size:15px;line-height:normal"><b>Lake Country</b></span></p>
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<p style="margin:0px;text-align:center;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>Atklokem</b></span></p>
<p style="margin:0px;text-align:center;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>David Wilson Mariel Belanger Sheldon Louis </b></span></p><p style="margin:0px;text-align:center;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>Barb Marchand</b></span></p>
<p style="margin:0px;text-align:center;font-size:20px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">August 16th to September 29th</span></p>
<p style="margin:0px;text-align:center;font-size:20px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Opening Reception: Thursday, August 15th 6-8pm</span></p>
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<p style="margin:0px;font-size:15px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>Atklokem:</b> A collaboration of contemporary Syilx Art brought together by Okanagan Artist David Wilson: featuring the work of Barb Marchand, Mariel Belanger, Sheldon Louis, and the Okanagan Indian Band Youth Group for this Indigenous-focused exhibition that will encompass painting, mixed media, sculpture, and performance. The exhibition runs August 16 – September 29. </span></p>
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<li style="margin:0px;font-size:14px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica"></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><i>Atklokem is an Anglicized version of the Syilx word that describes the area of Winfield. The ward of Winfield sits in the heart of Lake Country, nestles between Wood Lake to the east and Okanagan Lake to the west</i></span></li>
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<p style="margin:0px;font-size:10px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>David Wilson</b></span></p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:10px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Early in my career, I learned through teachings and mentorship of Coast Salish and Haida artists and later began an exploration of West Coast and Plains First Nations’ art forms, with further studies in business at Vancouver’s Langara College. My style of painting has developed through exploring Interior Salish pictograph art forms, combining vibrant colours and linear forms within a circular picture format. </span></p>
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<p style="margin:0px;font-size:10px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">The creative process happens through discussion and collaborative dialogue with viewers: artistic style, techniques, interpretations and exchanging stories or expressive ideas. Exhibitions are the most ideal times to engage with others, to listen and explore artistic expression.</span></p>
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<p style="margin:0px;font-size:10px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>Mariel Belanger</b></span></p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:10px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Mariel Belanger is dedicated to contributing in the growth of interdisciplinary arts as a method to engage Indigenous community, language, culture, and act as a bridge to society telling stories of our time. Recently graduated with a Master of Fine Arts Interdisciplinary and Indigenous Studies, Mariel is a SSHRC, UBCO Aboriginal Fellowship and Indian Brotherhood scholarship recipient. She was recently awarded Outstanding Indigenous Graduate Student at the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry held in Champaigne-Urbana at the University of Illinois. Mariel was nominated to the Canadian Association of Theatre Research board as a graduate board member. As an artist scholar, her research is about identity through the lens of Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Being, Customary Law, Indigenous Feminism and Performance Theory, exploring how cultural identity is rebuilt through oral history and performance practice.</span></p>
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<p style="margin:0px;font-size:10px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>Sheldon Louis</b></span></p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:10px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">I, Sheldon Louis am a member of the Okanagan Indian Band which is part of the Syilx Nation. I am a multidisciplinary Syilx Artist. I sit on the Board of Directors for the Arts Council of the North Okanagan. I was a recipient of the First Peoples Cultural Council Emerging Artist Development Award for 2015. I mentored with Barb Marchand as a curator and visual artist.</span></p>
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<p style="margin:0px;font-size:10px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>Barb Marchand</b></span></p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:10px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;color:rgb(53,64,64)"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">As a respected artist and elder, Barb Marchand had long had an interest in the history of her ancestors, their traditional language and the legends which connected her to the landscape and its inhabitants. This has led her to immerse herself in the study of the traditional Syilx language in an effort to gain a better understanding of the stories and history of the Okanagan First Nations people and in doing so, also her own history. </span></p>
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<p style="margin:0px;font-size:10px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>Okanagan Indian Band Youth Group</b></span></p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:10px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>Sheldon Louis:</b></span></p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:10px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Youth can at times struggle to lasting connections due to lack of mentorship and role models. By creating a public art piece in the community the youth will be able to interact and form healthy and respectful interactions through the arts. This Mural Project at the Lake Country Art Gallery will allow the youth to engage with all levels of the community. The visual art piece(s) will be inspired and rooted in the history and traditional stories of the Syilx people. The design/image will be based upon the tradition of Syilx history in the Lake Country area.</span></p>
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<p style="margin:0px;font-size:10px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">There will be public programming throughout the run of this exhibition including artist talks and the unveiling of the Youth Mural Project.</span></p>
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<p style="margin:0px;font-size:10px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Please check the gallery website for dates and times…<a href="http://lakecountryartgallery.ca"><span style="line-height:normal;color:rgb(4,51,255)">lakecountryartgallery.ca</span></a></span></p>
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<p style="margin:0px;font-size:15px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>Upcoming Events:</b></span></p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:10px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>Public Art Unveiling/Reception: </b>Saturday, August 10th, David Jacob Harder’s Orb Sculpture</span></p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:10px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>Atklokem Opening reception:</b> Thursday, August 15th, 6-8pm</span></p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:10px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>Night Picnic:</b> Friday, August 16th, 6-10pm</span></p>
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<p style="margin:0px;text-align:center;font-size:10px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>Media Contact:</b> Wanda Lock - curator tel: 250 864 5597 or 250 766 4873</span></p>
<p style="margin:0px;text-align:center;font-size:10px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">email: <a href="mailto:wandalock@shaw.ca"><span style="line-height:normal">wandalock@shaw.ca</span></a></span></p><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><font face="verdana, sans-serif"><font size="4"><a href="http://www.lakecountryartgallery.ca">www.lakecountryartgallery.ca</a></font><br><br><font size="4">Summer Hours:</font><br><font size="4">10am-4pm daily</font><br><br>10356A Bottom Wood Lake Rd<br>Lake Country, British Columbia<br>V4V 1T9<br><br>(250) 766 -1299<br><a href="mailto:lakecountryartgallery@shaw.ca">lakecountryartgallery@shaw.ca</a></font></div></div></div></div>